I gave a talk last month at a national conference of personal trainers. In my goody-bag was this Gatorade protein bar.
Its packaging explicitly told me that it contained, "protein to help muscles recover", and the bar itself was named a "Recover" bar.
Putting it all together I couldn't help but consider how a kid faced with this bar would react. Powerful claims, a trusted (albeit undeservedly) brand, and then the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB's blessings? That's some golden marketing right there.
When I turned the bar over at first I couldn't find a nutrition facts panel. But it was there, it's just that it was hidden under the fold of the packaging at the back of the bar.
When I folded it up I discovered that along with the 20g of protein the bar contained came 7.5 teaspoons of sugar and 360 calories. That's a half a teaspoon more sugar and 30% more calories than a Snickers bar.
As I noted in the brief video I posted on Facebook, kids don't stand a chance.
